Slotted wedge-type eyebolt



June 24, 1969' SLOTTED WEDGE-TYPE EYEBOLT Filed Oct. 12, 1967 INVENTOR. Bay/22 022 a h. 7Ezylor BY 6/6475? a Mm R. H. TAYLOR 3,451,304

United States Patent 3,451,304 r SLOTTED WEDGE-TYPE EYEBOLT Raymond H. Taylor, P.0. Box 122, Big Pine, Calif. 93513 Filed Oct. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 674,856 Int. Cl. F16b 13/10, 2/14; F16g 11/04 US. Cl. 85-79 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An eyebolt having a rigid shank adapted to be inserted Background of the invention The present invention represents an improvement over the wedge-type eyebolt shown in my United States Patent No. 3,338,128, issued Aug. 29, 1967; the instant improvement having been conceived by me in the continuing development preparatory to commercialization-of eyebolts of the above general type.

Summary of the invention The present invention provides, as a major object, a wedge-type eyebolt particularly characterized by the use of an initially open, full-length slot in the rigid shank to receive the necessary length of cable; the slot serving in lieu of the bore as previously used to receive such length of cable. The advantages of such slotted shank are that it makes the shank less costly to manufacture, and facilitates assembly of the eyebolt. Further, the complete cable unitincluding a stop on the inner end and an eye on the outer end-can be made separately and before being applied to the shank. Additionally, a preformed, complete cable unit can, when necessary, be replaced in the shank with a minimum of effort and time delay.

The present invention provides, as a further object, a slotted wedge-type eyebolt, of simple structure, designed for ready manufacture, and convenience of use.

The present invention provides, as a still further object, a practical, reliable, and durable slotted wedge-type eyebolt and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved eyebolt as wedge-secured in a hole drilled in a rock wall or the like.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the assembled eyebolt, detached; the view being taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the shank alone.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the present and impoved eyebolt includes a rigid, elongated shank 1 which is of taper form from end to end; the top and bottom edges, shown at 2 and 3, respectively, rela- 2 tively converging in an outward direction but with the bottom edge 3 straight and parallel to the major longitudinal axis of the eyebolt. Also, the shank is parallelsided.

The shank 1 is formed from end to end with a constant-width U-shaped slot 4 which extends parallel to the bottom edge 3, as well as the sides of the shank; this slot being open not only to the ends of the shank but also to the upper edge 2 thereof.

The bottom portion 5 of the slot is circularly curved so as to receive a length of heavy-duty but flexible cable 6 in running or turnable relation. However, above the curved bottom portion of the slot 4 the faces 7 thereof are parallel and slightly closer together than the diameter of the cable, as shown in FIG. 2. Consequently, such faces 7 impose a frictional drag on the cable 6 upon the latter being inserted into or removed from the slot. Thus, without actually preventing passage of the cable 6 into or out of the slot 4, the cable cannot freely escape such slot. Also, the slot 4 is of suflicient depth, even at the small end of the shank 1, to completely receive the cable, as shown in FIG. 1.

The cable 6, adjacent but beyond the inner or large end of the shank 1, is provided with a fixed rigid stop 8, preferably of cylindrical form and of no greater diameter than the width or height of the shank at such end. Just beyond the outer or small end of the shank, the cable 6 is formed with an eye 9 adapted for engagement by a conventional hook (not shown) such as is used in connection with a block and tackle or similar pulling device.

With the cable 6 thus arranged in unitary relation with the stop 8 and eye 9, such cable is first laid in the slot 4, and the shank 1 is then slid into a hole 10 pre-drilled in a rock wall 11 or the like; the shank preferably being positioned with the slot 4 facing upwardly.

Nextly, a longitudinally tapered wedge 12, substantially the same Width as the shank 1, is placed on to of said shank and bears against the edges 2 on opposite sides of the slot 4; the wedge then being forcefully driven along the shank until said wedge tightly engages the upper wall of the hole 10 and binds the shank positively in place in the wall.

With the shank 1 so bound in the wall, the eye 9 is exposed exteriorly thereof for engagement by a hook or other connector; the cable 6while remaining turnable in the bottom portion 5 of the slot 4being held against outward sliding movement by engagement of the stop 8 with the inner end of the shank.

The taper wedge 12, by covering and closing the slot 4 for the major portion of its extent, not only assures that the cable 6 remains in place, but to a substantial extent prevents rock bits or other foreign matter from gaining access to the slot and possibly preventing the desired free rotation of the seated cable.

The inclusion in the eyebolt of the specifically formed slot 4 for the reception of the cable, and through the outer portion of which slot the cable can pass only with a friction drag, assures that the shank, with a cable seated in the bottom portion 5 thereof, can be transported and manipulated (regardless of whether or not the shank is disposed right side up or upside down) without the cable accidentally escaping from said shank.

Of further advantage is the fact that the cable unit can be preformed before its assembly with the shank; this not being possible with the eyebolt of my aforementioned United States Patent No. 3,338,128 and wherein the stop had to be applied to the rear end of the cable after assembly with the shank; i.e. subsequent to projection of the cable through a bore in said shank. An additional advantage of the present eyebolt resides in the fact that the cable unit canif damaged-be readily manually removed from the shank and replaced with a new cable unit.

The above advantages inure to ease and economy of manufacture, and ready and convenient use of the present eyebolt.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a slotted wedge-type eyebolt as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the slotted wedge-type eyebolt, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as not form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wedge-type eyebolt comprising a taper shank adapted to be inserted in a receiving hole preformed in rigid material, the taper edge of the shank being transversely fiat from end to end of said shank, a taper wedge having a transversely flat taper face, the wedge being adapted to be driven into the hole with matching engagement between said transversely fiat taper edge and taper face of the shank and wedge, respectively, the shank being formed from end to end thereof with a constant-depth full-length slot, the slot initially opening through the transversely fiat taper edge of the shank with the opening centrally of and spaced inwardly from opposite sides of said shank, said opening being closed by the wedge when the same is driven into place in the hole, a length of cable extending through the slot and projecting from the ends of the shank, a stop fixed on the cable at the inner end of the shank, an eye formed on the cable at the outer end of the shank, the bottom portion of the slot being rounded and receiving the cable in substantially matching and turnable relation, and the faces of the outer portion of the slot being parallel and spaced apart a distance relative to the diameter of the cable so as to impose a frictional drag on such cable, but without preventing passage thereof between said parallel faces, upon movement of the cable into or out of said bottom portion of the slot when the slot becomes open upon removal of the shank and wedge from the hole and disengagement of said shank and wedge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 780,959 1/ 1905 Palmer 8586 880,416 2/1908 Stevens 8579 1,316,640 9/1919 Parsons 8579 1,950,317 3/1934 Luneburg 287- 2,592,696 4/1952 Hoody 24-123.1 2,738,998 3/1956 Haupt 28780 3,338,128 8/1967 Taylor 79 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,348,531 12/1963 France.

MARION PARSONS, JR., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24-123; 2s7-s0 

